"Sara!" Felicity screeched when she saw two bikes stopping in front of the mansion. She had run from the first floor, almost giving Oliver a heart-attack, in excitement.
Sara jumped from her bike and opened her arms to accept the warm hug from her best friend.
"Wow, you're big!" she stated, stepping back to eye her round belly.
"Hello, Felicity!" Nyssa said, from behind Sara and Felicity hugged the other woman, making her a bit uncomfortable when the big belly stood between them.
"Oh, don't mind it, it doesn't hurt…" Felicity said when Nyssa looked worried towards her midsection. And Felicity grabbed the two women hands when she felt the sudden kicks and brought it against her belly.
Nyssa's eyes widen and Sara smiled openly.
"They are strong!" Sara gushed and Felicity grinned.
"Aunt Sara! Nyssa!" Connor's voice echoed from the back of the house, while the boy ran with a small pup behind him.
Sara hugged the boy against her body while Nyssa messed with his hair.
"Did you brought cool stuff from your trips?" Connor asked Nyssa and she traded a look with Sara.
"We were remarkably lucky in finding an ancient sword from the 18th century, it's thought to have been used in a clan war in Scotland…" Nyssa stated, with an air of mystery surrounding her voice and Felicity could imagine the woman creating a story for that particular piece that would probably adorn their living room in less than an hour.
It was a surprise how good Nyssa was with Connor. She would spend hours telling him stories invented by her, she would play soccer with him and teach him how to sword fight. He would always wait expectantly for her return every time they could get away from the League for a little bit.
Thea walked behind Felicity slowly, her back tense in trepidation.
"Hello Thea…" Sara said softly and Thea waved.
Nyssa nodded her head while Connor grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house, with Sara following them.
Felicity saw Thea sag and sigh deeply and extended her arm to put a hand over her shoulder and squeeze.
"Everything is alright…" Felicity said, not for the first time and probably not for the last one as well.
"Thank you." Thea whispered and Felicity knew she meant more than the present moment and support.
After taking care of Felicity, Thea opened up a bit more towards the team. She still kept herself away from them, her eyes always jumping and her body ready to fight or flight. But she no longer wanted to kill any of them and it was a win in their eyes.
When Felicity entered the lair once, so long after that first opening, silently, she was able of hearing the final part of a conversation between Oliver and Thea.
"I'm sorry for what you suffered…" Oliver was saying. "I always wanted to protect you. It's what older brothers do, I never wanted to make you suffer or cry. When you were born I vowed I would never let anyone hurt you… And I broke that vow so many times… I'm the one that hurt you the most, and for that I am so so sorry… I don't know if you will ever forgive me… But I hope one day you can trust me again…" Felicity heard the swish of clothes and Oliver's steps. He was probably sitting near Thea and was now giving her some space. She heard a second pair of steps and then Oliver's surprised gasp. Felicity moved a bit to the right and peaked, seeing Thea hugging her brother from behind and Oliver's shocked and awed expression.
She stepped back once, twice and then all the way, until her presence in the lair was only a memory.
It took one year to Thea to hug her brother again and two more to let Roy held her again. But in the end, she did it, she won her battles and was once again the ruler of her own life, not as a Queen or a Merlyn but as Thea.
"Felicity…"
Felicity turned around to see Nyssa entering the library with careful steps. She was trying to arrange the last gifts before Christmas. Even if she was Jewish, in the Queen mansion the two religions were mixed, with traditions from the both of them blooming under her careful care.
"I have something for you…" Nyssa said.
Felicity was ready to reply, to tell Nyssa to wait, when she saw the brownish file the other woman was holding. It had a name on it. Smoak.
Felicity's outstretched fingers trembled when she grabbed the file. She brought it against her chest, feeling the hard material against her body.
"Thank you…" she whispered and Nyssa smiled softly.
"I hope you find some kind of peace with it." She replied, before turning around and walk out the door.
Felicity touched the paper softly. She sighed and put it inside the drawer. She would read it later, when she could be alone for a while and really think about what was inside that file.
But now, she had a family to amuse, and she was going to do the best job she could. She and her twins.
Later, when Thea and Roy went home, Laurel, Sara, Nyssa and Quentin returned to the lawyer's house and the Diggles were safely at their house, leaving the Queens by themselves, Connor was sprawled in the couch, asleep, the very real, very cuty sword that Nyssa gave him falling perilously from his half open fingers. While she grabbed the heavy blade and took it from him, Oliver crouched in front of his son and grabbed him, taking him to his bed without the boy waking up once.
When Oliver was finally asleep, his arms almost crushing Felicity, she finally stopped her overactive mind from thinking about her family and friends and focus on a file hidden in her library. Slipping from Oliver's arm she tried to tip-toe out of the room.
"Fe'city…" he grumbled and she shushed him softly.
"I have to pee…" she replied.
"Don't hummm long…" Oliver said, before snoring loudly and falling asleep again.
It was one of the things that warmed her heart more than anything. How easily he fell asleep now, without nightmares and dark visions. Even if he sometimes had them, when he was tenser, he could fight them and go back to his peaceful sleep. Felicity would be lying if she didn't feel damn smug that she had something to do with that evolution.
When Felicity turned on the lamp in the desk and opened the drawer, she felt a shiver ran through her. The file was not as big as she wished for, but it was big enough to make her skin crawl and her fingers move quickly, opening it.
Her eyes moved quickly from line to line, her mind trying to understand what the writing was telling her.
Her father was an independent agent. He would be paid by private companies or individuals to carry on a mission, be it a protection detail, find someone behind a blackmail affair or even, and Felicity shivered at that, an assassination. At least, apparently, her father was a scrupulous man, since the targets he accepted deserved that ending in some way, be it for war crimes or for abusing and selling children.
Felicity read on, apparently his father was kind of a friend to Ra's al Ghul, since there was a very descriptive part about his life with her mother. He had met Donna during a mission, actually, after he had to abscond a very old, very expensive diamond ring from a hotel in Vegas. Donna saw him walking with his tux through the hotel and set her mind in getting that man.
Felicity had to chuckle, it was definitely her mother alright.
When she had cut his way out, he tried to get rid of her, but finding it impossible without attracting unwanted attention, he took her into the hotel bar and paid for the most sour wine in the collection that was, unbelievable, her mother's favorite.
Truth be told, her mother was and is, a very beautiful woman, even with all the drinking and partying she had as constant companions nowadays. And she was young, very young, to realize that what the man was telling her was complete bullshit.
And the man, Marc Smoak as he presented himself, was very taken aback with the shiny and dreamy eyes of Donna. He had loved her smile and wanted to see it again.
But he had a mission to finish and a ring to deliver. So, he said his farewell, left her mother in the bar and walked away. During the two years between that and their next encounter, Marc or James, as sometimes he was called in the file, started working closer with Ra's. There was a rising number of missions he did with the League and Felicity wondered if that was how they became friends. She chuckled, imagining her father, that she now could see in the photos was very handsome with dark hair and blue eyes, having tea with the Demon's Head and talking about his love life.
Apparently, her father decided to return to Vegas, it was not clear if it was a mission or if he returned because of Donna, but two years after their first encounter they met again, and for the next seven years they lived together. Apparently, her father's job was listed as a transporter what could justify his absences during the missions.
But, the calm could not exist forever. One of the missions went wrong and her father had to escape his old life so he could survive, but not before returning one last time, argue with her mother and left the small Felicity with a tiny computer to play with. Felicity couldn't remember her parents' marriage. She could recall they were not always happy. Probably the passion of the first years went out under the stress of their lives. But she could see in her mind's eye how her mother started drinking more after that, she was already kind of a drinker, not drunk, but always with a cheery spirit, but after her father left, things went downhill. She remembered her mother being out of the house at all hours of the day and night, how she had to feed herself with microwave food, when she had that at the house or just run to the nearest shop and steal something under her jacket. She knew the old lady in the shop saw her taking the food, but the woman never said anything and only later Felicity realized the woman was pitying her.
Meanwhile, her father returned to the League's protective wing, knowing he was being hunted by some unknown enemy and expecting his friend Ra's to help him. And help he did. However, unknown to Ra's al Ghul, his own daughter, Talia, was planning a rebellion against her father's power and proclaim herself and The Demon's Head. Marc finding out at the last minute about Talia's plan to murder her father, ran towards Ra's quarters and died to save his friend. Ra's killed his daughter to avenge not only his own life and power, but his friend as well.
Her father was buried in Nanda Parbat, beside other warriors fallen in battle that received the honor of resting in that place.
"Oliver, you can came out of the shadows, you know? It's not that hard to see a gigantic man hovering behind me like a ghost…" Felicity said suddenly, without looking up, and heard his chuckle.
"I'm not gigantic. You are the one that is short." He replied with a smile.
"I'm not short, I'm average, Mr. Queen!" Felicity laughed and Oliver shook his head.
"That is something you never were and never will be." He said affectionately and Felicity felt herself swoon at his words.
"Very romantic, Mr. Queen… Are you feeling lonely?"
"I was, actually, Mrs. Smoak-Queen. I woke up and my wife was missing from our very large bed, then I found her with the utmost serious expression on her face reading some unknown papers. I don't like to see the sadness in my wife's eyes so I must ask what is going on, so I can punch someone in the face." Oliver stated, sitting in front of Felicity, but not moving to peak over the papers. He knew she would show them if she wanted to and if not, he would respect her wishes.
Felicity smiled lovingly at him and then extended the file so he could reach and read it. He sat in front of her, on the other side of the table.
Oliver's eyes flew over the pages, reading the story of his deceased father-in-law.
"Wow…" he whispered when he reached the last page and Felicity nodded.
"Wow, indeed… Apparently my knack for getting myself surrounded by very dangerous, very strong men it's a family thing…" she said, trying to lighten the situation.
Oliver sighed and looked up at her words. He rose from his chair and circled the table, kneeling beside his wife. His hand approached her face and touched her cheek softly, feeling his fingertips rise the blush and the heat in her face.
"Felicity…" he whispered and she smiled sadly at him.
"It was a long time ago, Oliver… I've moved on…" Felicity replied, seeing the worry swim in his blue irises.
"But you just opened the lid in a box you thought was closed forever… it can be haunting… it can bring some hard feelings…" Oliver stated and Felicity's eyes closed momentarily.
"I just feel so stupid… You know I tried to find him when I was eleven? I hacked a lot of databases, very rudimentary job, if I say so myself, but couldn't find anything… I hated him sometimes… Whenever the kids picked on me at school or when my mother would come home drunk or got a new boyfriend, way younger than her, or when I didn't have a freaking yoghurt to eat! I hated him and I cursed him and sometimes I wished he was dead! Guess what? He was dead already! And he was not there because he had to protect us! Because he was a freaking assassin! And a robber and a lot of other things I can't even imagine! He was friends with Ra's al Ghul for crying out loud! I just… I don't know what to think… it's like my head is going to explode and I just want to run away…" Felicity confessed, the tears finally running free in her face.
"Then go…" Oliver whispered and Felicity looked at him, shocked.
"Are you sending me away?" she croaked and he snorted.
"Of course not, I was just telling you that you could go to the back garden, breath some air and then just come back. I wouldn't want you, in that state, more than a mile from this home!"
Felicity huffed at him and rolled her eyes, but she smiled nonetheless, knowing what he was trying to do.
"You are amazing, did you know that?" she asked, caressing his face.
"Actually, I do know, you are remarkably clear about that when we are alone in bed…" he said and Felicity giggled.
"You are a dork, my dear husband…"
Sobering up, Oliver looked at the papers once again.
"Are you going to tell Donna?" he asked and Felicity followed his eyes.
"I don't know… I don't think it would do a great good… And I would have a lot to explain… Maybe I could tell her he died… But I don't want to tell her he left because he was trying to protect us…" Felicity sighed, combing her hair with her fingers.
Oliver knew all too well how hard of a subject her mother was.
Donna Smoak was not an ordinary woman. She was fast, street smart, ambitious and reckless. She drank and partied and changed boyfriends more than he changed his arrows, which was saying a lot.
He could remember the only time he saw her and it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Oh shit!" Felicity exclaimed when they got out of her mini, Roy trying to snake himself out of the backseat.
"What is it? Is it an enemy?" Roy asked, while Oliver tried to understand what he was seeing.
"Worse… it's my mother… Quick, let's get into the car again and run!" she said and Roy rolled his eyes.
"She can't be that bad…" he said, walking towards the blonde woman that was in front of Felicity's house.
"Felicity!" the woman screamed and then stopped when Roy approached her, eyeing him lustily and making the boy step back quickly when she grabbed his biceps and squeezed. "Felicity, nice boy you have here!"
And then her eyes fell on Oliver, who was walking hand in hand with Felicity and her mouth opened and her eyes widened.
"Yeah, he gets that reaction all the time…" Roy said. "Who knew he could get such a hot girl, right?"
The woman looked at him, surprised at his words, but quickly dismissed him, while closing the distance between the slow walking couple and her.
"Hello, I'm Donna Smoak…" she said, grabbing Oliver's face and kissing his cheek. The man was left winking repeatedly in confusion, while the woman turned to Felicity.
"Felicity, dear, what a lovely surprise…" she said, kissing her daughter cheek, while whispering into her ear. "Nice catch."
"So, are you two together for long? Maybe we should enter and talk in private…" Donna said and Felicity saw Roy laughing silently behind her mother.
Before Felicity could say anything else, Donna was already grabbing her daughter's keys from her hand and walking towards the house. Now, Roy was no longer laughing, trailing the woman with his eyes in shock.
"Hum… maybe I should go… I told Thea I would meet her at Verdant…" Roy said, starting to back out.
"And how are you going to go there? On foot? Besides, Thea told me she would come over for dinner, so you better stay. You were going to help us move the shelves anyway…" Felicity said and Roy sighed. He really promised to help Felicity and Oliver move her beloved belongings.
"Well, I just think it would be easier for you to move into the mansion at once and not moving a shelf at a time…" Roy said, walking with his hands inside his pockets.
"That is going to happen after the wedding, when we will have everything ready…" Oliver replied and Felicity stopped suddenly.
"The wedding!" she exclaimed and the two men looked at her.
"Don't tell me…" Oliver started.
"…that you didn't tell your mother!" Roy completed.
Felicity cringed and shook her head.
"Why?" they asked
"You will see why…"
And they really did.
By the end of the next hour, Donna was able of offending Roy by saying The Glades was the worst neighborhood she ever saw and people from there were obviously lowlifes, touching all of the Felicity's belongings while asking why she couldn't buy nicer things and telling Oliver how good it was to be in the presence of such a domineering man, even going as far as asking how their bedroom life was going on. Felicity wanted to kill her mother or herself, she wasn't picky right now.
And when Thea arrived with Chinese takeout it went downhill with her mother explaining the dangers of that kind of food in someone's body, since Felicity was already "a bit fat", according to Donna's words. Thea started telling her she was crazy, Oliver supported his sister, while Roy and Felicity were left lost, without knowing what to do. In the end, Thea and Roy left, without eating and Felicity and Oliver were left in the middle of the awkward tension.
By the end of dinner, Donna grabbed Felicity's arm and made her follow her into her bedroom.
"Felicity…" Donna said, looking her daughter directly in the eyes. "You have to be smart about this… That man outside is smoking hot and there's a lot of other women wanting him, probably taller and thinner than you… But you have him when you want right now… Now it's your time to play… It can take a bit of time, but you must be quick about it… I would suggest a mistake in taking your pills and then…"
"Wait!" Felicity said, too shocked until now to realized what her mother was trying to say. "You want me to get pregnant on purpose?"
"Why, yes, that's what I'm saying…" Donna looked surprised that her daughter was only now reaching that conclusion.
Felicity closed her eyes, opened the bedroom door and without looking at her mother pointed towards the hallway.
"Get out!" she said, without looking at her mother.
"I just want what is best for you!" Donna said in an upset voice.
"You want me to get pregnant on purpose so I can imprison a man? Was that what you did with my father?"
"Of course not, Marc had no money, and that's why I'm telling you this now. Love is all pretty and magic, but if you don't have money you can't live like that for long… That's why he left, probably…" Donna bit back and Felicity reopened her eyes.
"You just want the money for yourself, so you don't have to work and drink and spend it with your boyfriends, am I wrong?" Felicity spitted and Donna's eyes shone with malice.
"I knew it was stupid coming here, you are still the same ridiculous girl that left my house saying she would make someone of herself. Yeah, right, I can see that…" Donna stated in a sarcastic tone, grabbing Felicity's small canary plush given by Sara in her birthday and pointing at a photograph of Felicity with Diggle.
"Well, if you think so low of me and my stuff and my friends, you can just go away and never come back!" Felicity yelled and Donna rose her arm to slap her daughter when a shadow appeared suddenly and Oliver's own arm materialized and grabbed Donna's wrist.
"Donna, I think you should leave…" Oliver said, in a low tone, but not less threatening for that.
The woman ripped her arm from his hand and walked out of the room, but not before turning around.
"I hope you follow your bastard father's actions and never appear in my face again! And I sure hope that one gets you pregnant and then abandons you so you can live alone with a crying brat!" and she walked out of the house.
After that, Felicity only knew about her mother when she hacked into the casino where she worked to know if she was alright.
"At least we know he didn't leave because of the money…" Felicity shrugged her shoulders, trying to diffuse the tension that she could feel even in her tongue.
Oliver sighed. He knew she was trying to stay strong, to be the reliable person she always is.
"You can scream and yell, if you want… Or you can punch something…" Oliver suggested and Felicity laughed.
"That won't be necessary… However… there's something I would like to do… Not now, obviously, but as soon as possible…" Felicity said slowly, observing Oliver's eyes.
"I want to go to Nanda Parbat."